Pages

Worker dies in blender, An Oregon cleaning worker was killed when he fell into a running blender at a meat-processing plant, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputy Nate Thompson identified the worker as Hugo Avalos-Chanon, 41, of Portland. He worked for DCS Sanitation Management, a cleaning company that has a contract with Interstate Meat Distributors.

Paramedics and sheriff's deputies were called around 11:45 p.m. Friday, after Avalos-Chanon was found entangled in the machinery. Another worker had hit an emergency stop button, but it was too late, Thompson said. Firefighters returned the following day to dismantle the machine and remove the body.Dr. Cliff Young, a deputy state medical examiner, said Avalos-Chanon died from "blunt-force injuries and chopping wounds."

Thompson said investigators believe the death is a "tragic industrial accident" and do not suspect foul play.

Investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are examining evidence, interviewing witnesses and reviewing records.

An OSHA report on the plant from last fall found machines were not locked during the tear-down process for cleaning. The inspector said an "unexpected start-up of the machine" could cause injuries.